South KoreaWhat are the criteria for licence revocation?
In South Korea, a driver's licence may be revoked for serious traffic violations including drunk driving (BAC ≥ 0.05%), causing death or injury through negligence, accumulating 100+ demerit points within 1 year, or repeated offences like speeding over 20 km/h above the limit three times in a year.
What the Law Says
The Road Traffic Act and its Enforcement Decree set strict conditions under which the Korean National Police Agency must revoke a driver’s licence. Revocation is mandatory—not discretionary—for certain high-risk behaviours.
Licence revocation is mandatory when a driver is convicted of driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05% or higher. This applies regardless of whether an accident occurred.
Revocation also occurs automatically if a driver causes death or serious injury due to negligent or reckless driving — including violations like running red lights, illegal U-turns, or failing to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.
Under the demerit point system, accumulating 100 or more points within one year triggers mandatory revocation. Points are assigned per violation — e.g., +60 for speeding >40 km/h over the limit, +40 for drunk driving (BAC 0.03–0.049%), and +100 for BAC ≥0.05%.
Additional grounds include committing the same severe violation (e.g., speeding over 20 km/h above the limit) three or more times within one year, or being convicted twice for driving under the influence within five years.
Statutory TextWhere any person is found guilty of driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent or more… the competent authority shall revoke his/her driver’s license.
— Road Traffic Act, s. 122 — Revocation of Driver’s License
Statutory TextThe driver’s license shall be revoked where a person causes death or injury to another person by violating road traffic laws and regulations while driving a motor vehicle.
— Road Traffic Act, s. 122 — Revocation of Driver’s License
Statutory TextWhere a person accumulates one hundred or more demerit points within one year… the competent authority shall revoke his/her driver’s license.
— Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, s. 148-2 — Demerit Point System
What to Do
Check your current demerit point balance via the Korean National Police Agency’s online portal (www.npa.go.kr) or mobile app 'Police App'.
If charged with a revocable offence (e.g., DUI), consult a licensed Korean attorney immediately — administrative appeals must be filed within 30 days of notice.
Attend mandatory traffic safety education (if applicable) before reapplying after revocation; completion is required to retake the licensing exam.
After revocation ends, you must pass both the written test and practical driving test again — no grace period or provisional licence is granted.
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.